


in a maze, and the only thing i feel is you

by cabooseachievables



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, M/M, jay and evie are actually just conspiring together, the typical trope of misunderstandings and angst, uma has a very brief cameo bc i love her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 08:31:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15530286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabooseachievables/pseuds/cabooseachievables
Summary: This heartache is totally normal and has nothing to do with the huge crush she has on Evie, or the idea of her possibly getting with Jay. That’s what Mal tells herself, anyway.(Or, the College AU where Mal and Carlos are oblivious and think Jay and Evie are dating.)





	in a maze, and the only thing i feel is you

**Author's Note:**

> "Anonymous said:  
> Could you write a Malvie/Jaylos fic where Jay and Mal are bff Carlos and Evie are bff. And Jay wants to date Carlos and Evie wants to date Mal so they help each other out to get the girl/boy but thanks to misunderstandings Mal and Carlos think Jayvie are dating and they try being supportive but they are in love so it really hurts them to see their best friend dating the person who they're in love with"
> 
> Thank you to the anon that sent me this, even though I went a little bit overboard with the prompt and it turned into this! Enjoy :)
> 
> (title from All Night - Steve Aoki, Lauren Jauregui)

Auradon University really isn’t as special of a place as people make it out to be.

 

At its core, the school is overpriced despite providing basic courses and is filled to the brim with stuck up rich kids. Everyone has pastel-colored, expensive clothes that were most likely paid for by their business savvy parents and walk around as if the campus is some kind of royal kingdom. Seriously, it seemed a lot nicer on the pamphlets with photographs of student-less classrooms and dorm buildings. A community college could probably give you the same level of education at a lower price.

 

But, you know, Mal still goes here since she got one hell of an art scholarship. It would’ve been stupid to turn down an offer like the one they’d given, especially when her mother didn’t plan on paying a single cent for any of her college tuition. Sparing herself from a lifetime of debt was worth enduring a few painful years on campus.

 

Anyway, Mal actually hates being here. Despises it. Her one saving grace is in the form of another kid like her; Jay might be an idiot, but they have more in common than the two would like to admit. Unable to afford a university like this otherwise, he’s here on a full lacrosse scholarship after what many would consider a perfect high school sports career. (Auradon had to overlook the few misdemeanors on his record and a worrying number of detentions served too, so Jay considers himself lucky.) They’d met in their first year philosophy course, sitting next to each other in the back corner, and have been inseparable ever since. He’s her best friend.

 

There are a few other perks to this school, Mal has to admit. Free gym access, showcase opportunities for her art, and decent dining hall food are all on top of the list.

 

And then there’s Evie Grimhilde.

 

She’s a well known face around campus, especially after she’d dyed her full head of hair royal blue last semester with absolutely no warning. The act had garnered a lot of attention from other students, but everyone’s love for her was heightened by the incredibly fashionable outfits Evie put together on a daily basis. Mal has this huge gay crush on her, which is pretty inconvenient by itself, because she has a reputation to keep up. It doesn’t help that Evie and Jay are on Ultimate Frisbee together, and she gets dragged along to watch every practice.

 

Frisbee is a “fun” and “casual” coed sport that everyone at Auradon seems to enjoy for one reason or another, but Mal has yet to see the appeal of it. Even Jay has a blast playing the sport for fun, unlike the strict and grueling lacrosse practices that push him to his limits four times a week. And, hey, playing this pointless sport seems to help Jay lighten up a bit, so Mal supports the activity for his sake.

 

Any time she tags along, Mal sits on the sidelines and observes everyone as they do their thing, but not as much as she observes Evie. There's just something so mesmerizing and graceful about how Evie does literally  _ everything _ . Hell, even when she breathes. She moves like a princess, with regal power behind her smile and touches that linger with magic. On the field, athleticism clearly isn’t her strong suit— yet, with the determination of a queen, Evie puts effort into improving. She’s beautiful when she talks, stunning when she catches an unbelievable throw, and Mal’s favorite,  _ really _ hot after a long workout. It's a wonder how Jay has never caught Mal staring before, or even brought it up to her. He's usually very keen on teasing her about crushes, especially when they're girls. But Mal can only be thankful that he hasn't noticed yet.

 

(Except he totally has.)

 

Jay would have to be blind to miss the way Mal looks at Evie. The girls have interacted a few times, all of which were entertaining as hell. One time was so Evie could compliment Mal’s purple jacket, and that had been a mess for Mal, who was trying to get over how smooth Evie’s voice was. Another day, Evie asked Mal for the time. One time they even had a full discussion on how hideous the wall coloring in the art building was, collectively agreeing that the olive green paint was a terrible idea.

 

He can also see the way Evie lights up just a little bit when he gets Mal to tag along for practice. The way she flips her hair to one side and really focuses, as if she's trying to impress someone. They're both painfully obvious.

 

Jay is just a tad more interested in Evie’s friend, though, who only shows up once or twice a month to support her when he isn't busy. His name is Carlos, a fact Jay only knows because they shared a class last semester and even worked on their final project together— which is when Jay finally realized that he was starting to develop a major crush on the boy. A little too late, though, because the semester ended and the course with it. Now the only time Jay can catch a glimpse of him is if Evie invites him to practice.   
  


“Look who's here today,” Mal says to Jay with a smirk, nodding her head in the direction of a certain white-haired boy on the grass. Monday practices are usually dull, as most Mondays generally are, but the sunny spring weather has people in a good mood. As much as Mal would prefer not to socialize with other students, the weather actually coaxed her out of her dorm room for once. The same must go for Carlos, who, from Mal’s vague understanding, spends most of his time on computers.

 

A couple of times in the past, Jay made some comments about finding Carlos cute. Which is why she expects Jay to do the same today, because Carlos is on the other side of the field in a tank top and shorts, trying to read a giant textbook that rests on his lap. Jay’s eyes find Carlos but, instead, he smirks wickedly and turns back to Mal.

 

“Yeah, but look at the skirt Evie is wearing,” Jay mentions, and both of them look directly at Evie, who is laughing in a conversation with Lonnie. To her credit, it’s a very nice skirt. The material must be expensive and soft, and it flows perfectly down to Evie’s mid-thighs. But all Mal sees is legs, because  _ holy shit _ her legs are gorgeous. Mal has to remind herself that she should really stop with this whole staring thing, while Jay leans closer. “Seriously, how does she always look that hot?”

 

“Stop being gross. She’s not even your type,” Mal scoffs, pulling some timeworn sketchbooks out of her bag. In reality, Jay and Mal are very much equally bisexual, so maybe she could be his type— but that’s an insane concept. Jay just laughs.

 

Practice goes on for roughly an hour and a half, though Mal spends a majority of this free time sketching under a generously shady tree. She even half-heartedly cheers for Jay, although it’s  _ so _ half-hearted that nobody can hear her. Occasionally someone will make an incredible throw or pull some sick move, tossing the blue plastic disc right into the hands of another player, and Mal can never be bothered with the hype. Yet, somehow, she always catches a glimpse of Evie jogging across the field or in the middle of a throw, and she’s never been one to complain about such a nice view (whether it’s a distraction to her art or not).

 

Eventually practice wraps up and Mal admires her new page full of sketches before shutting the book, subconsciously running her hand along the leathery material of its cover. Students are scattering off of the field to head in their own directions, and that is Mal’s cue to start putting her things away. Jay is usually quick to grab his belongings and all but sprint towards the dining hall, but it appears that he has different plans today. She doesn’t miss how Jay approaches Evie while the girl is drinking from a water bottle, following it up by pulling her hair into a ponytail. They laugh over something, chat for another minute or two, and then— are they pulling out their phones? Mal watches in complete shock as they exchange phones and type in what she assumes to be their respective phone numbers, and then diverge.

 

When Jay walks over and slings his duffle bag over his shoulder, Mal is still gaping at him.

 

“What the hell was that?” Mal questions, pushing herself up off of the ground.

 

“What?” He looks around at the people exiting the field, as if visibly searching for the answer to her inquiry, and shrugs. “I was just talking to Evie. Let’s go get dinner, Doug said they have tacos today.” Jay gives her a quick pat on the back and starts towards aforementioned tacos across campus. She doesn’t bring it up again, but the unusual mental image of Jay and Evie is still on her mind as they walk to the dining hall.

  
  
  


Carlos perks up as Evie finally walks over to his spot on the grass, ready to leave and head back to their dorm building. Being able to walk together is always calming for both of them, and neither have to go out of their way; they’ve lived across the hall from each other since early fall. Carlos’ roommate, Ben, is a sweetheart and is currently dating Audrey, Evie’s roommate, which means that their hangout circles almost always revolve around each other. He always enjoys just spending time with Evie, though. Something about his friendship with her is so simple and easy, and that is a rare factor for Carlos to find.

 

“Hey, Evie! Great practice today,” Carlos smiles. He hops up from his patch of grass and brushes dirt off the back of his pants. “You’ve gotten a lot better with your catching.”

 

“I know! We’re all getting a lot better,” Evie nods, picking up her bag that Carlos had been keeping an eye on and throwing the strap over one shoulder. With a returned smile, Evie holds an arm out for Carlos to loop his own around. Exhausted, she adds, “I can’t wait to get back to my room and take a shower.”

 

The pair exit the field arm in arm, discussing the day’s events. Carlos had a tough time on his programming quiz, but Evie developed an absolutely stunning series of clothing designs this morning and shares her excitement. They pass through one of the few commuter parking lots on campus, and Evie briefly notices the way Carlos hesitates to bring something up, mouth hanging open for a while.

 

“So… what were you and Jay talking about back there?” He tries to casually ask, looking down at the pavement. Either his black and white sneakers are very interesting, or he’s subtly trying to avoid making eye contact and failing. Evie studies him for a moment. Carlos has had a crush on Jay for a while now— or at least, Evie is almost positive he does. Carlos hasn’t actually confessed to it, but he talks about Jay the same way he gushes over his favorite male celebrities (see: Chris Pratt), and Evie can read her best friend like an open book.

 

“He wants to hang out sometime soon,” Evie says, and it’s only half true. Carlos doesn’t mention anything else about it, which may or may not be a good sign, so they discuss their thoughts on tonight’s plans instead.

 

When they reach their building and ascend the three flights of stairs that eventually lead them to their rooms, Evie says goodbye to her friend with a promise of seeing him later. Then she unlocks her door and heads inside, dropping her bag on the carpeted floor. Letting her hair loose is a relief on its own, but collapsing onto her bed is even better. Before Evie can allow herself to get into a nice, warm shower, she pulls out her phone and types away.

 

**[6:02PM] Evie:** Heyyy

**[6:04PM] Jay:** sup

**[6:05PM] Evie:** Carlos has no idea, so I think we’re still in the clear.

**[6:08PM] Jay:** sweet. idk mal doesn’t seem that suspicious but knowing her she might interrogate me later   
**[6:08PM] Jay:** also why do you type like that

**[6:09PM] Evie:** What do you mean?

**[6:11PM] Jay:** like a 40 y/o mom on facebook

**[6:13PM] Evie:** Oh  
**[6:14PM] Evie:** I have auto capitalization on.  
**[6:15PM] Evie:** Anyway, hopefully she isn’t too suspicious. They’re gonna be so surprised  <3

**[6:18PM] Jay:** she might kill me for this but that’s half the fun lol   
**[6:18PM] Jay:** so how are we doing this

**[6:21PM] Evie:** First thing’s first. When are we both free?

  
  


***

  
  


After being miserable in a three hour drawing class, Mal exits the art building and heads towards the student lounge with one solid objective: take the sweetest nap  _ ever _ before her next class.

 

The weather outside is actually pretty pleasant again. There’s enough wind for Mal to make up reasonable excuses for wearing her favorite purple hoodie, but it isn’t exactly cold either. It’s overall a nice day, so there are a lot of people walking around on campus (decreasing Mal’s own personal enjoyment, but whatever). Mrs. Sun in the Sky is also being a little inconsiderate on this fine day, and Mal has to squint to even see where she’s headed and who is walking around her. Yet it’s funny how, all things considered, even among the sea of rich boys wearing tan shorts and polos or girls wearing pastel pink dresses, Mal is immediately able to spot one person in particular: Evie.

 

She’s standing outside of the library, scrolling on her phone as if waiting for somebody. Mal briefly considers going over to say hello, but, like, that’d be weird. They don’t really know each other like that. Sighing quietly to herself, Mal is convinced to keep walking (although it isn’t a tough argument in the first place) and shoves her annoying crush feelings aside. But then, since her eyes are always drawn to Evie as if she has some sort of magnetic pull that disregards every conscious decision Mal makes, she glances back at the library and— woah. Jay is there suddenly, smiling as he talks to Evie with one hand on his backpack strap.

 

Okay. That’s a little weird. Since when do Jay and Evie talk on a regular basis?

 

As soon as Mal reaches the student lounge and gets herself comfortable on one of the small couches in the corner, she whips out her phone and sends a blurry snapchat to Jay that reads “where r u?”

 

Mal knows damn well that he doesn’t have class for another two hours, and he was just at the library talking to Evie, but something is seriously bothering her. Even as she sinks into the cushions of her chosen couch, this negative feeling swells at the pit of Mal’s stomach, almost like— nah, not jealousy. Mal has experienced many emotions throughout her life (which is almost unbelievable at this point) and jealousy has never been one of them. So, naturally, that can’t be what’s happening right now. This is totally normal and has nothing to do with the huge crush she has on Evie, or the idea of her possibly getting with Jay. That’s what Mal tells herself, anyway.

 

Half an hour goes by as Mal tries to take a nap, but this nagging feeling never lets up and serves as a barrier standing in the way of her precious sleep. She resorts to looking at Twitter in the meantime, until an important notification finally pops up at the top of her phone screen. The snap is from Jay and presents only his feet, while the caption reads: “sorry i was at the library lol. where r u now?”

 

That really pumps the brakes on Mal’s brain. Like, literally, brings everything to a screeching halt, because of one inconceivable idea.

 

Jay…  _ inside of a library? _

 

There is no way Jay would step foot inside of a library on his own accord. In the three years they’ve been on Auradon University’s campus, Jay has only been in the library once; Mal is well aware of this, because she was there during that one time. That one cursed, fateful morning in which she’d woken up exactly 28 minutes before her first class and had forgotten to make some copies of her prints the night prior. Mal dragged Jay along to the library so that he could help her with the copies, and he’d said to her (word for word)  _ wow, I’ve never been in this library before, _ and proceeded to do absolutely nothing. In fact, he was only there because she promised to buy him lunch if he’d drive her across campus.

 

Bitter memories aside, Jay would never willingly enter the library unless someone invited him. And, you know, since she’d seen him talking to Evie right outside, she can only assume they were there together. Makes sense, right?

 

It’s still weird. Really weird.

  
  


***

  
  


Carlos has noticed that Evie is acting a bit strange lately. Not necessarily towards him, but acting weird in that it almost feels like she’s hiding something from him. She’s been on her phone more, distractedly texting someone, and disappearing suddenly with vague excuses. He figures that maybe she’s just busy, because that’s how Evie’s life is occasionally— and more importantly Carlos has a major exam to study for next week, so he decides to redirect his attention on textbooks instead of Evie’s business.

 

Walls of text are what occupy his mind when Ben returns from class, greeting Carlos with a warm smile that isn’t acknowledged by his distracted roommate. He has textbooks and packets and stacks of notes laid out in front of him on his bed, a bright yellow highlighter in hand that makes various streaks across anything significant. Ben attempts to share some details about the day’s events, but all words seem to go in one ear and directly out the other. Only after he’s done hanging up his jacket on a coat hanger, relieved to have some relaxation time, does one of his comments finally get through to Carlos.

 

“Hey, since when do Evie and Jay hang out?” Ben questions, and he isn’t expecting a response at this point, but confused eyes finally meet his own as Carlos lifts his head. 

 

“Uh, what do you mean? They’ve been playing Frisbee together for...” He thinks about it, calculates the months that have gone by carefully. “Five months now?”

 

“Well, yeah, but I saw them sitting together at one of the outdoor picnic tables by the Humanities building.” Ben chuckles a little, sitting down on his bed and rummaging around in his bag. He leaves out certain details, such as the fact that it almost looked like Jay and Evie were scheming. The thought alone just creates more questions, doesn’t it? Best not to bring that up. “It was just a weird sight, you know? I’ve never seen them together outside of practice.”

 

Carlos bites nervously on the edge of his pen. He tries not to jump to conclusions here, but ever since that conversation after their last practice Evie has been a lot closer to Jay. “Now that you mention it,” he says, a frown forming at the corner of his lips. “She’s been really busy lately out of nowhere.”

 

Always intuitive, Ben seems to sense something off about the way Carlos is suddenly very deep in thought. The boy has a prominent habit of overthinking things and letting paranoia get the best of him; Ben has seen the results of this firsthand multiple times, and is well aware that a calming, outside perspective usually helps Carlos through it. Being roommates means they barely keep secrets from each other, and Ben has been aware of Carlos’ crush on Jay for some time now, so he considers his words wisely.

 

“I’m sure they’re just friends,” Ben says confidently, in his signature comforting tone. In another life, he could probably be a king with that voice. Carlos just nods.

 

The rest of his studies are a blur of incomprehensible words and facts that never fully register. Eventually, when all of the new information is starting to blend together into nonsense, Carlos shuts his textbooks and releases a sigh of defeat. Rather than stressing over an exam, he has one worry plaguing his mind, because— well, his crush might be dating his best friend.

  
  


***

  
  


Friday’s Frisbee practice has yet to begin, but Jay and Mal had gotten there a few minutes early since they had nothing else to do beforehand. Mal has taken her usual spot against a large tree, headphones around her neck and a sketchbook open on her lap. This is typically how you’ll find her; comfortably sitting somewhere hidden away, lost in the dark strokes etched across fresh pages. Today she is concentrated on sketching pictures of a beautiful girl who may or may not suspiciously resemble Evie (hell, it might as well be a portrait) using pieces of broken charcoal. Her work is coming along nicely, which is good. It only means there are less art projects to finish for class.

 

Footsteps approach the tree that Mal has claimed, and she assumes that it’s only Jay stopping by to be his annoying self, but then they stop a short distance away and those royal blue shoes in her peripherals are most definitely not Jay’s.

 

“Hi Mal,” Evie says sweetly. Mal immediately looks up at her, then back down to her sketchbook, then back at the girl in front of her. Quickly she flips to another page, nearly tearing the sheet out of the book in the process. She smiles innocently, because nothinghappenedyoudidn’tseeanythingandyoucan’tproveit.

 

“Hey,” she replies, and from the way Evie’s eyes trace along the sketchbook and travel up to her face, Mal can’t tell if she noticed the drawings or not. She’d rather not ask.

 

“Mind if I put my stuff down here?” Evie asks, gesturing to her backpack. This is definitely… new.

 

“Yeah, sure,” Mal agrees with a shrug. She watches as Evie props her belongings against the tree and pulls out a hair tie, her phone, and a pocket-sized mirror. God, she’s too gorgeous to even exist, Mal thinks, seeing how Evie lifts the mirror and admires herself for a moment. The way she tilts her head and puckers her lips, trying to decide whether she’s satisfied with her appearance right now; not that she could ever look terrible in the first place. Who even gave her permission to look  _ so— _

 

Evie makes eye contact with her knowingly, and within an instant Mal is staring down at her blank sketchbook page with heated cheeks, missing how Evie smirks. Luckily for Mal, she’s feeling generous today and decides to spare her from any more innocent torture. Practice is beginning in a few minutes anyway.

 

Ultimately satisfied— with her appearance or Mal’s reaction, who knows— Evie shoves the mirror back in her bag and offers a quick thanks, though she’s sure the blonde won’t be responding.

 

Soon, Mal feels the other girl’s presence disappear and she glances up in time for her eyes to subtly (but not so subtly) follow Evie as she jogs across the open field towards Jay. They greet each other in an easy conversation of smiles and casual touches. He must say something funny or stupid, maybe both, because she laughs at whatever leaves his mouth and Mal feels a horrible feeling return in her stomach. This time there is no mistaking that feeling, even despite her initial denial; jealousy is a monster that has somehow crept up on her, and it is most definitely not welcome. Mal grabs a pencil and distracts herself by drawing on the page before her, though her method is full of rough and inconsistent lines this time.

 

Whatever is going on with Jay and Evie, it shouldn't be any of her business.

  
  


***

  
  


Mal hears some movement in the apartment living room, which is odd for a Saturday morning. The noise is enough to pull her into consciousness despite the way her body aches for more sleep, and her tired eyes locate the wall clock across the room. It’s only 10:30AM and being awake this early during the weekend is almost unheard of, but Mal is still curious to find the source of movement and could honestly go for a bowl of cereal right now.

 

The floor is cold when her feet touch it, a horrible reminder that she should really still be in bed. Mal nearly concedes right then and there, as she’s tempted to curl up and pull the purple and black sheets back over her head. But then there’s another sound, the sound of Jay’s door opening and closing, and curiosity gets the best of her.

 

When she opens her door and peers into the living room of their apartment, she finds Jay shuffling into some sneakers, ready to leave.

 

“Dude, it's like 10:30 in the morning. Where are you going?” Mal asks, voice masked by drowsiness and confusion. Jay is taken off guard, jumping slightly at the sound of her voice.

 

“I'm getting brunch,” he replies, slipping his arms through a jacket and pulling it over his shoulders. He's acting so casual about this and yet Mal can't help but stare at him in bewilderment.

 

“Brunch…” Mal repeats, rolling the word around on her tongue as she attempts to better understand what the fuck is happening. She’s almost positive Jay didn’t know the meaning of the word brunch, though the promise of food has always been an undeniable way to convince him to go places. “ _ You _ are getting  _ brunch _ . Okay, uh, do you mind telling me what fucking universe I just woke up in?”

 

Jay never gets out of bed any earlier than noon on a Saturday, and if he does it's to sit around in the living room playing video games for five hours. Not to go out and eat brunch.

 

“Well I'm actually meeting up with somebody, so…” Jay tries to explain, but evidently trails off in the middle of it as if he's second guessing his word choice. That's when it finally clicks in Mal’s brain— and she honestly should have guessed a lot sooner, because  _ brunch _ ? Really? There’s only one person that would even suggest doing brunch on a Saturday morning.

 

“Is it Evie?” Mal questions, and finds that she’s actually fearful of the answer.

 

Thankfully, Jay just stiffens and clears his throat nervously instead of acknowledging her question. “I... uh, I'm really gonna be late. Catch you later, Mal,” Jay says awkwardly, right before he practically sprints out the front door. It's all the answer she needs, anyway.

 

Suddenly the cereal is no longer appetizing, not now at least, so Mal shuts her door and climbs back into bed. The idea was to go back to sleep, but unfortunately that doesn’t end up happening. She lays there instead, staring at her horribly barren ceiling, trying to ignore the dull ache in her chest. A part of her wants to be angry— the part that has never been good with processing emotions or conveying them through healthy means. But she knows she has no right to feel this way in the first place. It’s not like Jay even knew— how could he? Never once did Mal consider telling him about her massive crush on Evie, mostly because she knew she’d never hear the end of his teasing. Maybe if she didn’t have such a difficult time with feelings, maybe if she’d known this would happen...  There was no way she could have predicted this, though, and unfortunately this was out of her hands.

 

Mal sighs and tugs the covers over her head.

 

It still hurts, though.

  
  


***

  
  


Ursula’s Coffee Shop is one of the nicest (and most underrated) spots close to campus, usually full of exhausted college students or adults simply passing through for a quick coffee. Evie has always appreciated it for the atmosphere and nicely decorated scenery, but the drinks are truly to die for. So she stands on line, enjoying the soft pop music playing overhead, ready to order her usual latte when the door jingles behind her.

 

“Evie?” A familiar voice speaks, and Evie turns around to see a pleasantly surprised Carlos.

 

“Carlos!” She gasps with a smile, and somewhere in the back of her mind she prays that Jay shows up late today. Not that it would be anything new for him. Evie steps forward as the line moves, continuing, “What are you doing here?”

 

“Just grabbing a coffee before my Saturday lecture,” Carlos shrugs. “What about you?”

 

A beat passes.

 

“I'm meeting with someone,” Evie explains vaguely. Carlos raises an eyebrow at that, but she can’t afford any more questions and has always been an expert at manipulating conversations every now and then, so she shifts the topic elsewhere. “I love the lattes they serve here. Plus, it's way better than the dining hall.”

 

The evasion seems to work effectively as Carlos chuckles, “I can second that.”

 

They both place their orders and as soon as Evie receives hers, she says goodbye and excuses herself to find a table by one of the windows. Carlos quietly waits for his drink, not wanting to rush the barista behind the counter— she seems stressed, preparing several orders while trying to handle a new customer all at once, and he has a good twenty minutes remaining before his lecture anyway. When the girl (whose name tag reads: Uma) looks over at Carlos to mutter an apology for the long wait, he offers a sympathetic smile.

 

Just as she’s handing over his coffee, Carlos hears the door open again and his eyes are immediately drawn to the person entering. The long hair and colored jacket are an instantly recognizable combo.  _ What the hell is Jay doing here? _

 

Jay looks around for a moment and, upon spotting Evie in the sea of customers, turns to make his way over and takes a seat across from her. Carlos feels his heart sink a little at that, remembering everything else that’s been going on this week. This particular sight doesn’t surprise him as much as it saddens him, but it practically confirms Carlos’ earlier suspicions. Without a second thought or glance towards the table, he accepts his drink from the barista, hands her an extra tip, and rushes out of the coffee shop.

 

“Do you think he saw me?” Jay whispers to Evie, as if they're undercover or something equally ridiculous. Her eyes shift from the door to the boy, shaking her head.

 

“It's a little hard to miss you in that jacket,” Evie sighs just before taking a slow sip from her coffee cup. The red with the yellow, blue and brown? Seriously, why would anyone buy such a hideous fabric? Jay looks slightly offended by the comment.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” He probes, frowning.   
  


“Nothing, don’t worry about it. Now,” Evie pushes some hair back behind her ear, sitting up straight with a graceful smile on her lips, “we have some planning to do.”

  
  


***

  
  


A few days later, Mal and Jay are hanging out in their apartment living room when he randomly speaks up.

 

“Hey, do you wanna go out to eat tonight?” He asks, mindlessly smashing buttons on his controller as he fails miserably at a game of Fortnite. Mal just examines him for a moment before shrugging.

 

“Sure, I guess.” She speaks dryly, not entirely thrilled by the idea of leaving her room today. Unfortunately, staying in her room means that dinner will be one of two options: instant noodles or instant macaroni and cheese. Quite the selection, really, but not the most appealing. “What did you have in mind?”

 

He takes a moment to answer, darting around some trees in-game.

 

“I heard this new Italian place opened up by the park,” he says as he pretends to be extremely concentrated on sniping somebody. Between the long pauses and Jay’s shifty demeanor, he seriously has a strange vibe going on today. After he eventually gets his kill, he adds, “We can check it out or something.”

 

Everything about Jay seems a little weird, but Mal can't deny that she's hungry and a prisoner to her own stomach. So, like any other hungry college student would, she nods in agreement and heads off to find her wallet and keys.

 

It's not like something super crazy will happen.

 

Or, at least, that's what she’d told herself  _ before _ Jay’s car came to a stop that evening in front of the park rather than an Italian restaurant. This isn't where Mal was expecting Jay to park the car, but, you know, maybe the place just doesn't have good parking or whatever. But then Jay motions for her to follow him, and it looks an awful lot like he's walking through the park entrance.

 

Mal blinks once. Twice. “I'm pretty sure there's no restaurant in the park,” she comments skeptically from the park entrance, not quite following Jay inside just yet. He has this very poorly hidden smile on his face when he turns around, but she’s unable to figure out what it means.

 

“Come on! I thought a walk would be nice before we eat,” Jay says and continues to walk. Mal’s instincts are telling her to get the fuck out of here before Jay does something crazy like pull some messy prank on her, but her stomach is demanding her to keep going.  _ Dinner awaits, _ it says.  _ You’ll be fine, _ it says. With a reluctant sigh, Mal follows Jay as he leads them forward.

 

They walk past the colorful playgrounds where families and children are running around, delighted laughter filling the air. In the sky, the sun is only beginning to set as blue hues slowly turn purple and orange around white clouds. Even if she was reluctant, Mal has to admit that the walk is pretty relaxing. They pass the basketball courts and rows of empty chess tables, through some trees, and eventually there’s just green. There’s endless grass, trees, and a large field, and—

 

And then there's Evie. Sitting on a big picnic blanket with this charming smile on her face as she notices the two of them getting closer. Mal stops in her tracks, but two solid hands plant themselves on her shoulders and squeeze them.

 

“Go get the girl,” Jay reassures her before giving a light shove, unaware of how Mal’s head is literally spinning.

 

“What? I thought you two were—"

 

“Secretly plotting to get you guys on a date? Yeah, we were,” Jay grins. The words are a lot to process all at once, but Mal comes to a very simple conclusion despite the heavy thuds of her heart. She's going to kill him. Never in her life has Mal been so absolutely  _ keen _ on planning a man’s death until now. He knows that look on her face, too, the one that implies that if he sticks around for too much longer she’ll punch him in the face, so he steps back. Hands raised defensively and amused grin unwavering, Jay continues, “Now stop making both of us wait. I have a date to get to, too.”

 

And Jay runs off, leaving a stunned Mal with an ever so patient Evie.

 

A few seconds is all she needs to compose herself, but Mal is still nervous as she walks over to Evie and her beautifully organized picnic setup.

 

“I do hope you're not disappointed about having dinner with me instead of Jay,” Evie teases. She pats a spot on the blanket, an invitation for Mal to sit beside her. Mal chuckles at the comment, feeling some nerves leave her body.

 

“No, not at all. You're way prettier than he is.”

 

Evie is the one that giggles this time. “Why, thank you. It's relieving to know that you think I'm pretty.”

 

Mal feels a bit of heat rush to her cheeks, but the smallest of smiles creeps its way onto her face.

  
  


***

  
  


After getting somewhat lost along the way, Carlos finally locates the new Italian restaurant that just opened up by the park and steps inside. He takes a look around and, while the booths and wall decorations are very clean and aesthetically pleasing, they’re not what he’s searching for. Or, rather, who he’s searching for. When he doesn't see Evie anywhere, he frowns and pulls out his phone to shoot her a quick text message.

 

Usually the girl is very serious about being on time, and she told him to get there at exactly 7:00PM. What if something happened to her?

 

Then someone walks up beside him, taking their place next to Carlos with a huff.

 

“Hey, sorry I'm a little late,” Jay apologizes. He stuffs his hands into his front jean pockets, presenting a charming smile. “Ready for dinner?”

 

Carlos stares at him with wide eyes, sputtering. “Wait, what? Where's Evie? Why are you here?” It occurs to him that maybe he’s speaking too fast, as fast as his heart is pounding against his chest. In an attempt to not embarrass himself any further, Carlos inhales. The exhale is followed by, “What do you mean?”

 

“It  _ means _ Evie and I spent the past week planning this secret date for us. And I'm hungry,” Jay says, snatching a menu that was laying around by the door. 

 

Carlos cannot believe his ears.

 

Does this mean he really wasted the entire week worrying over nothing? He was so sure that Evie and Jay were something more; his heartbreak was most definitely real, at least. In hindsight it makes sense, because of course Evie would do something like this for him. (Mental note: thank Evie later. And ask questions. Lots of questions.)

 

“Does this mean you like me?” He asks, mouth still hanging open in surprise. Jay shifts a bit awkwardly— or maybe nervously? Carlos can’t make the distinction, but watches with searching eyes.

 

“Well, yeah— what's not to like? You're nice and smart and all that. The freckles are just an added bonus,” Jay says with an elbow nudge. The air is much lighter, and Carlos finds that he enjoys the boy’s company as much as he imagined he would. “So let's get some dinner, ‘kay?”

 

“Yeah,” Carlos murmurs, unable to stop himself from beaming. “Yeah, I'd like that.”

  
  


***

 

The stars are on full display, and fortunately for the two girls laying out in the park, it’s a beautiful night.

 

“You know, I wasn’t expecting any of this,” Mal confesses, tracing shapes in the stars with her eyes. She hears more than sees how Evie shifts, who turns to face Mal instead of the open night sky. She can feel Evie’s big brown eyes on her, tracing shapes on her skin as if she is more beautiful than the stars themselves. The thought is preposterous, because if anyone in the world is prettier than the stars it is Evie.

 

“Why is that?” Evie whispers as a tentative hand slips into Mal’s. The blonde’s body is much warmer, comforting almost, and it pulls Evie in as if she has her own gravitational pull.

 

The park is closing soon, so they should really begin packing everything up. Neither of them move an inch.

 

“Don’t laugh?” Mal mumbles, and Evie promises with a head shake that she won’t. Green eyes finally meet brown when she turns to look at Evie, hesitantly admitting, “I thought you and Jay were dating or something.” At least it takes a second of being fought back, but eventually Evie starts giggling uncontrollably. Her laughter is possibly one of the most angelic sounds known to man, which Mal would love to continue hearing if it weren’t in this situation. “You said you wouldn’t laugh!” She groans, throwing a dramatic arm over her eyes.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Evie says, the rest of her laughter calming down while she gently moves Mal’s arm out of the way to reveal a major pout. “You’re just very cute... Clueless, but cute.”

 

And, if you know Mal, you know that genuine smiles are an extremely rare occurrence for her. They might as well be listed as one of the world’s cryptids, and if you happen to catch one you should take a photograph as proof because no one will believe it otherwise. That’s just how Mal is and always has been, but she can’t fight the smile that grows when Evie smiles right back at her.

 

“Okay. I might be clueless, but at least I can read,” Mal says. She pulls out her phone and turns it on, revealing the time. “We should probably get going, unless you want to get in trouble.”

 

Evie sits up and raises a challenging eyebrow. “Who says I wouldn’t want that?” 

 

The glint of mischief in Evie’s eyes is enough to send a chill through Mal’s body. Seriously, she  _ might _ be in love.

 

Getting caught by park security and possibly finding too much trouble doesn’t sound like a fantastic first date idea though, so the girls grab everything and throw their scraps in the nearest trash can before fleeing the park hand in hand. As sappy and cheesy as it sounds, Mal can’t help but feel like this is the start of something really special in her life.

 

Auradon University still sucks, though, don’t get her wrong. It’s just going to be a lot nicer with Evie around.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, kudos and comments are very appreciated! Find me @ harryumas on tumblr and @ agentjungkook on twitter. <3


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